1. Technical Field of the Invention
This invention relates to automated retail systems and, more particularly, to a system and method of increasing fuel sales and non-fuel product sales at a fuel service station.
2. Description of Related Art
Vendors of various products often find it desirable to enter into cross-marketing agreements in which the purchase of a product from a first vendor earns a discount coupon for the consumer on a product from a second vendor. As used herein, the term xe2x80x9cvendorxe2x80x9d refers to the manufacturer of a specific product or the supplier of specific services. The term xe2x80x9cmerchantxe2x80x9d refers to the store where the products are purchased, such as grocery stores, convenience stores, gasoline service stations, unattended fueling stations, etc.
Merchants operating convenience stores often sell consumer products inside the store and sell gasoline outside the store. In addition, many gasoline service stations which primarily sell gasoline also sell consumer products. In order to tempt gasoline customers to purchase other products, these stores and stations often place advertising for in-store specials in the window or on digital displays on their gasoline dispensers. In addition, some gasoline service stations offer discounts for car washing services if a minimum amount of gasoline is purchased. However, prior to the present invention, there has not been a system or method of tying a gasoline purchase to a purchase of a consumer product or service in a way that makes it easy for the consumer to purchase the consumer product or service, and which provides an economic incentive for the customer to purchase additional products.
Merchants who sell a number of products would benefit from a system and method of increasing product sales and volume through a combination of cross-selling of products and future selling of products. The present invention provides such a system and method.
In one aspect, the present invention is a method of cross-selling products. The method includes the steps of associating a price-per-unit (PPU) discount for fuel with a purchase of a non-fuel product, informing a customer of the PPU discount associated with the purchase of the non-fuel product, recording the customer""s purchase of the non-fuel product, and discounting the PPU of the fuel by the associated amount during a fuel purchase by the customer. The method may also include the steps of encoding the customer""s purchase of the non-fuel product on an encoded token such as a paper receipt with a personal identification number (PIN) or bar code, magnetic strip, smart card, key fob, etc. and providing the customer with the encoded token for redemption for the non-fuel product.
In another aspect, the present invention is a method of increasing fuel sales at a fuel service station. The method includes the steps of informing a customer that a future purchase of fuel can be currently made at today""s price, recording the customer""s order for future fuel, accepting the customer""s payment for the future fuel, encoding the customer""s purchase of future fuel on a token, and providing the customer with the encoded token for redemption at a future date.
In yet another aspect, the present invention is a method of increasing a merchant""s fuel sales at a fuel service station which includes the steps of informing a customer that the merchant offers a volume-sensitive discount on a future fuel purchase if the customer currently purchases a volume of fuel that exceeds a threshold amount of fuel, and determining whether the customer purchases a volume of fuel that exceeds the threshold amount. The volume-sensitive discount on future fuel is encoded upon determining that the customer purchased a volume of fuel that exceeds the threshold amount. This is followed by recording the customer""s volume-sensitive discount on future fuel, encoding the customer""s volume-sensitive discount on a token, and providing the customer with the encoded token for redemption at a future date.
The present invention is also a method of cross-selling products which includes the steps of associating a PPU discount for fuel with a purchase of a non-fuel product at a first site, informing a customer at the first site of the PPU discount associated with the purchase of the non-fuel product, determining that the customer ordered the non-fuel product, and discounting the PPU of the fuel by the associated amount during a fuel purchase by the customer. A reward file associated with the customer""s purchase of the non-fuel product is recorded in a database at the first site, and the customer""s purchase of the non-fuel product is encoded on a token. The encoded token is then provided to the customer for redemption for the non-fuel product. This is followed by determining at a later time that the customer has presented the token for redemption at a second site which communicates with the first site over a data network. The second site requests that the first site send the reward file, and the first site sends the reward file to the second site. The customer""s token is then redeemed for the non-fuel product at the second site. Information regarding the redeemed token may then be sent to a central server in the data network which allocates a value of the non-fuel product to the first site.
In yet another aspect, the present invention is a system for cross-selling products which comprises a display screen at a fuel dispenser that informs a customer of a PPU discount for fuel which is awarded if the customer purchases an associated non-fuel product, means for the customer to purchase the non-fuel product at the dispenser, a database which records the customer""s purchase of the non-fuel product, and a processor which discounts the PPU of the fuel by the amount of the PPU discount in response to the customer""s purchase of the non-fuel product.